Insulated rail-joint.



No. 7|2,l3l. Patented Oct. 28, I902.

i G. L. HALL.

INSULATED RAIL JUINT.

' (Application filed. Jan. 18, 1902.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: INVENTOR w. i Y ma w m: norms vtrzas cc. PnoTmuYNu" ww qomn. n. c.,

UNITED Y STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. HALL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

INSULATED RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N'o. 712,131, dated October 28, 1902.

Application filed January 18, 1902. Serial No. 90,233. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. HALL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insulated Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad thereinto the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to joints between adjace'nt rails of a railway and to the insulation of one rail from the rail adjacent to it; and its objects are to provide means whereby the amount of insulating material used may be decreased and what is used be put in such places as will be subjected to less wear and tear than has heretofore been accomplished.

To these ends my invention consists of a two-part fish-plate, means of uniting the two parts of said fish-plate, and means of insulating the two rail ends and the two parts of the fish-plate from each other.

I hereinafter describe a rail-joint embodying the features of my improvements, and then point out the novel features in the claims, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the various views, of which- Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, on lines 2 2 of Fig. 2 and 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is an end View, partly in section, on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

1 l are ends of two railway-rails to be joined and electrically insulated from each other.

2 and 3 are respectively parts of a fishplate. Each of said parts 2 and 3 is provided with one or more lugs 4c, offsetting from the same, though in some cases they may be omitted. These lugs 4 may be so arranged as to be spiked to ties or so as to be run into the earth, or some of them may be arranged to be spiked to ties and others to be run into the earth. Said parts 2 and 3 of said fishplate are also provided with offsetting lugs 5, adapted to be united by one or more bolts, rivets, or other joining devices 6. 7 is insulating material, such as vegetable fiber, adapted to be inserted between the rail ends and the two parts 2 and 3 of the fish-plates.

Of course it will be understood that said insulatingmaterial may be omitted from between the rail ends, provided air-space is left between said ends; but I prefer to insert the insulating material as shown in the draw ings. 8 is a thimble or bushing of insulating material adapted to prevent any electrical connection between the two parts of the fishvplate through the said bolts, rivets, or other joining devices.

10 represents bolts or other devices to bind together the rail ends and fish-plates.

9 is a washer protecting the thimble or bushing 8.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An insulated'rail-joint comprising two opposite two-part fish-plates, means of structurally uniting and electrically insulating the two parts of each fish-plate, means of maintaining the rail ends from contact with each other, and a plurality of bolts passing through the two fish-plates and the rails.

2. An insulated rail-joint comprising two opposite two-part fish-plates, each of the parts of said fish-plates being provided with an offsetting lug or lugs adapted to be spiked to a tie or otherwise held in place, means of structurally uniting and electrically insulating the two parts of each fish-plate, means of maintaining the'rail ends from contact with each other, and a plurality of bolts passing through the two fish-plates and the rails.

3. An insulated rail-joint comprising two opposite two-part fish-plates, each of the parts of said fish-plates being provided with an offsetting lug or lugs adapted to be spiked to a tie or otherwise held in place, and an ofisetting lug adapted to match with a similar lug on the other part, a bolt or bolts passing through said last-named1ugs,insu1ating material between said lugs and between the rail ends, insulating material between every of said bolts and one of said lugs, and a plurality of bolts passing through the two fish-plates and the rails.

4. A fish-plate for rail-joints comprising two parts, each having a portion adapted to fit in the web of the rail, and an offsetting lug adapted to match with a similar lug on the other part, a bolt or'bolts passing through said lugs, insulating material between said I insulating material between said lugs, and in lugs and insulating material between every of sulating material between every of said bolts said bolts and one of said lugs. and one of said lugs.

5. Afish-plate for rail-joints comprising two In Witness whereof I hereunto affix my 5 parts each having a portion adapted to fit in name, in presence of two witnesses, this 17th 15 the web of the rail, an ofisetting lug 0r lugs day of January, 1902.

adapted to be spiked to a tie or otherwise held GEO. L. HALL. in place, an offsetting lug adapted to match Witnesses: with a similar lug on the other part, a bolt or H. V. N. PHILIP,

:0 bolts passing through said last-named lugs, J. F. BOUDREAU. 

